MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers: How are the Padres Both?!

The Padres are all in (again), it’s reunion season in Seattle and Houston, the bullpens are bolstered in New York and one of Major League Baseball’s top prospects has found a new home. 

While this trade deadline was not particularly fruitful for teams seeking difference-making starters or dynamic outfielders, a plethora of potentially season-altering bullpen moves turned what could have been a bit of a snoozer into an exhilarating final 48 hours. 

In the end, the Mariners got the top power bat in Eugenio Suárez; electric closers Mason Miller (Padres), Jhoan Duran (Twins), David Bednar (Yankees) and Ryan Helsley (Mets) all found new homes; and Carlos Correa returned to Houston, among a bevy of surprising moves.

Here are the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 trade deadline.

The big winner: Seattle Mariners

No team upgraded their offense quite like the Mariners, who entered the deadline lacking pop at both corner infield spots and filled their needs with two of the best players on the market in Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor.

This version of Suárez, an All-Star who ranks fifth in MLB in home runs, is a more impactful player than the one who occupied the hot corner in Seattle two years ago. Even if his power takes a hit at T-Mobile Park, he represents a significant upgrade at the spot; the Mariners had gotten just five home runs from their third basemen this year.

Meanwhile, Naylor’s ability to get on base and put the ball in play separates him from the rest of a lineup which all of a sudden looks like one of the more formidable groups in MLB. The Mariners trail the Astros by five games, but if the rotation can stay healthy, this Seattle team might be the most talented in the American League.

Loser: Chicago Cubs 

This isn’t an indictment on the moves that were made; it’s a reaction to the moves that weren’t. Willi Castro is an incredibly useful piece, and pitchers Mike Soroka, Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge should be helpful additions for the staff. But this is a team that should be all in. They have the most dynamic offense in baseball in what might be the only year they have with Kyle Tucker. They needed another impact starter; they didn’t get it. 

Loser: Milwaukee Brewers

Anyone in the NL Central feel like separating themselves? No? All right, then. It’s not necessarily that I was expecting the Brewers to splurge at the deadline — that’s not really their way of operating — but they had a chance to add a difference-making slugger in the middle of their speedy, contact-first lineup, the type of player who could help them actually make some noise in October after a series of early exits. An impact bat such as Eugenio Suárez could have been perfect, and they have the plethora of arms that might have been intriguing for Arizona. But they passed, as expected, and I have to wonder if that will come back to bite them again. 

Winner: Philadelphia Phillies 

The Phillies’ saves leader, Jordan Romano, has a 6.81 ERA. The player with the second-most saves on their team, Jose Alvarado, will not be available in the postseason after getting suspended. An impact closer was the most obvious need for a Philadelphia bullpen that ranks 24th in ERA. They found that in Jhoan Duran, one of the most impactful pieces to move at the deadline and one who will help the Phillies for years to come. He is a ninth-inning force, capable of missing bats, avoiding barrels and keeping the ball on the ground. The acquisition of Harrison Bader is a more underrated addition, one that should provide a significant boost to an outfield that ranks last in the National League in WAR. 

Winners: The New York teams (and their bullpens) 

The Yankees may not have ended up with the best player at the deadline, but they addressed a bevy of needs — the most glaring at third base — while significantly raising the ceiling of the pitching staff.

Ryan McMahon, though a slightly below league-average bat over his career, is still an offensive upgrade and one of the better defensive third basemen in the sport. Austin Slater gives the team a platoon lefty masher. David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird provide a remedy for a Yankees bullpen that has an ERA over 6.00 in July, and all of them are under contract beyond this year. Jose Caballero adds speed, defense and the ability to move around the diamond.

They were unable to land an impact starter, but the moves help lift the spirits of a team trying to stay in contention while Aaron Judge is down. We’ll see if it’s enough to chase down the Blue Jays.

The Mets rank second in MLB in ERA, but the bullpen is 7-8 with an ERA over 4.00 in July. One of the biggest issues has been the lack of a reliable left-hander in the group after injuries to A.J. Minter and Danny Young. They answered that quickly by adding Gregory Soto … and then did a whole lot more to transform their relief unit into one of the most formidable in the National League, picking up two-time All-Star Ryan Helsley, the Cardinals’ flamethrowing closer, and Tyler Rogers, the submarining righty from the Giants who has a 1.80 ERA. That is quite the bridge to Edwin Diaz, who is an All-Star back in his usual elite form.

Getting Cedric Mullins to upgrade another weakness in center field was another plus. Both the Mets and Phillies upgraded in the bullpen and the outfield, setting up what should be a fun fight to the finish. 

Losers: The Los Angeles teams (for different reasons) 

The Dodgers seemed to do well in the deals they made, but with all the elite closers available and the mess that has been their bullpen all year, it seemed likely that they might try to take a big swing. That did not happen. Brock Stewart — who has been basically unhittable against right-handers — is much better than people realize, and Alex Call will help their offense against left-handed pitching, but it was a quieter deadline than anticipated for a team that has been ravaged by injuries and has yet to perform to its capabilities. They’re counting on a lot of players either returning to form or returning to health at a time when their primary division rivals are pushing their chips all in. 

At least they will be playing in October, though. 

That is unlikely to be the case for the Angels, who, in another year marred by mediocrity, have a 3.4% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Did they try to help their future by getting a haul back for Taylor Ward or Jo Adell? Did they try to recoup some value for rentals Tyler Anderson or Kenley Jansen? No, no. Instead, the fourth-place squad acquired pitchers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia and light-hitting infielder Oswald Peraza to go from fourth place in the AL West to … likely fourth place in the AL West. 

Winners: Teams in need of impact relief pitchers 

The Padres got Mason Miller. The Phillies got Jhoan Duran. The Mets got Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers. The Yankees got David Bednar and Camilo Doval. The Rays got Griffin Jax.

We knew a lot of elite closers might have been available for the right price, but because almost all of them were under team control beyond this year, it was also possible that the cost would be too exorbitant for a ton of action. That was not the case. Now, we’ll be seeing a lot more of the best arms on baseball’s biggest stage. 

Losers: Teams in need of impact starting pitchers 

Where would the Marlins send Edward Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara? (Nowhere.) Could Zac Gallen or Mitch Keller be pitching postseason games somewhere else? (No.) Would the Twins be willing to part with Joe Ryan? (Nope.) What about the Nationals and MacKenzie Gore? (No to that, too.) Would the Padres have to part with Dylan Cease to get the starter they needed? (They would not.)

Teams hoping for a new No. 1 or No. 2 starter in October were mostly out of luck, though Shane Bieber’s move to Toronto is one to watch as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery and Merrill Kelly is a noteworthy add for the Rangers if their offense can get moving. 

Winner: The current Padres

… And all of us who enjoy action this time of year. Thank the baseball gods for A.J. Preller. Who needs a farm system, anyway? Whether it’s Juan Soto or Josh Hader or Tanner Scott or, now, Mason Miller, Preller is routinely willing to go where no other executive would, emptying the farm system in an effort to win immediately. The Padres had a clear need in left field, which was answered with the acquisition of Ramon Laureano. They had questions at first base and DH, which were answered by trading for Ryan O’Hearn. They had issues at catcher, and they added Freddy Fermin. Preller wanted more rotation depth, and he got J.P. Sears and Nestor Cortes.

Most importantly, the Padres, who already possessed the best bullpen in MLB, wanted to add another impact arm and got the most electrifying young closer in the game in Miller. The cost was massive, but suddenly a flawed and shallow Padres roster looks capable of making an October run again, even if they can’t catch the Dodgers in the division. 

Loser: The future Padres

So, about that cost…the Padres depleted their farm system to make another run, including giving up their top prospect. Is it risky? Absolutely, especially if Leo De Vries becomes a superstar. Is it reckless? Depends who you ask, but as often as this happens, Preller still routinely finds a way to replenish the system in a way no one expects, putting the Padres in position year after year to then trade more prospects for impact big-leaguers. At some point, will the well run dry? That’s a problem for another day. And if it helps deliver a championship to San Diego, no one will care. 

Winner: Athletics

It’s not often that one of the top prospects in baseball changes hands in July. For the A’s to get that from the Padres in exchange for a reliever, even one as electric as Mason Miller, represents a win. They received an absolute haul headlined by De Vries, a dynamic 18-year-old shortstop, in addition to three San Diego pitching prospects. The future got brighter in Sacramento (or Las Vegas). 

Winner: Mason Miller/JP Sears

When you go from a last-place team in a hitter-friendly environment at a minor-league ballpark  to a team with championship aspirations in a pitcher-friendly venue at one of the best stadiums in Major League Baseball, everything should suddenly feel a bit brighter. 

Loser: Boston Red Sox

On a similar note, this was an underwhelming deadline for a third-place Red Sox team that had started to find its form after a disappointing start. Boston could’ve used another impact starter to pair with Garrett Crochet. There was chatter of potentially moving some of their outfield surplus to make it happen. Instead, all they got was Dustin May, who was soon going to be forced out of the Dodgers’ rotation, and a bullpen addition in Steven Matz. This was an opportunity squandered to go for more. 

Loser: Minnesota Twins fans 

It was just a couple weeks ago that the Twins were in second place in the division. On July 12, they were only a game under .500. Now, well … insert the “Will Smith looking around an empty room” GIF. That basically describes life now for Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton, two of the few mainstays remaining after Minnesota sent out Carlos Correa, Duran, Jax, Danny Coulombe, Chris Paddack, Brock Stewart, Louis Varland, Willi Castro, Harrison Bader and Ty France. I can’t help but wonder how different this might be had Pablo Lopez stayed healthy or, more importantly, had the ownership situation been resolved. 

Winner: Carlos Correa

In some ways, this will all feel very familiar for Correa, who returns to where it all began. In other ways, it will feel different. The roster has changed. His position will, too, as he gets set to play third base for the first time. But whether or not he’s able to find his old form again in Houston, this has to be a huge boost for Correa, considering the direction that the Twins are going. 

Loser: Atlanta Braves 

Sure, Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias haven’t had the type of year that would make them particularly attractive pieces to acquire. Still, it was surprising to see the Braves basically sit out this chance to add more to the farm from this abysmal season. 

Loser: Detroit Tigers

Considering they’ve been one of the best teams in baseball all year, I expected them to more meaningfully address their deficiencies. Tigers relievers have an ERA over 5.00 in July and one of the worst strikeout rates in MLB this year. They could have used an elite piece at the back end. Instead, they opted to address their pitching issues with quantity — starters Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack, relievers Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero, Randy Dobnak and the injured Paul Sewald — over quality, favoring slight upgrades over major upside. They should still cruise to a division title, but this felt like an opportunity missed. 

Thank you for playing: Colorado Rockies 

Prospect Roc Riggio found an appropriate new home. Is the Rockies’ farm system now fixed after sending Ryan McMahon and Jake Bird to the Yankees? No, it is not. But give them credit for acknowledging reality and finally participating this time of year. Everyone please clap.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.

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